Defining what we mean by these words can help to understand what is happening/has happened to you. These are for guidance and will not cover every possible behaviour or experience. There are informed by legal definitions which would be used if a report was made to the Police, as well as our university's Dignity and Mutual Respect Policy.
Definitions
Discrimination takes place when an individual or a group of people is treated less favourably than others based on one of the nine protected characteristics in the Equality Act (2010). These include age; disability; gender reassignment; marriage and civil partnership; pregnancy and maternity; race; religion or belief; sex; sexual orientation. You can experience direct or indirect discrimination. The types of behaviour include discriminating if you have a mental health condition or family responsibilities. You may feel you don't get the same opportunities, derogatory comments based on your characteristics or receiving less pay for doing the same job as colleagues.
Microaggressions: these are defined as the everyday, subtle, intentional — and oftentimes unintentional — interactions or behaviours that communicate hostile, derogatory, bias or negative attitudes toward historically marginalised groups.
Hate Crimes are any criminal offence if it is perceived by the victim or any other person, to be motivated by hostility or prejudice based on a person's (perceived or otherwise known) disability, race, religion, sexual orientation or gender identity. These include physical attacks, such as assault, damage to property, or the threat of attack, such as inciting hatred by words, pictures or videos, offensive letters, abusive or obscene telephone calls, groups hanging around to intimidate, and unfounded malicious complaints.
Microaggressions: these are defined as the everyday, subtle, intentional — and oftentimes unintentional — interactions or behaviours that communicate hostile, derogatory, bias or negative attitudes toward historically marginalised groups.
Hate Crimes are any criminal offence if it is perceived by the victim or any other person, to be motivated by hostility or prejudice based on a person's (perceived or otherwise known) disability, race, religion, sexual orientation or gender identity. These include physical attacks, such as assault, damage to property, or the threat of attack, such as inciting hatred by words, pictures or videos, offensive letters, abusive or obscene telephone calls, groups hanging around to intimidate, and unfounded malicious complaints.
Hate Incidents are any non-crime incidents which are perceived by the victim or any other person to be motivated by hostility or prejudice based on a person's disability, race, religion, sexual orientation or gender identity or perceived disability, race, religion, sexual orientation or gender identity. This could include verbal or online abuse, insults, such as taunting, offensive leaflets and posters, abusive gestures, bullying at school or in the workplace.
What mainly separates a Hate Crime from a Hate Incident is whether it is a criminal offence. If it becomes a criminal offence then the person can be prosecuted. It is possible for something to be an initial hate incident to become a Hate Crime. However Hate Incidents can also be recorded by the Police as well as other organisations. So it is still taken seriously.